3 Atlanta Hawks players primed for disappointing seasons in 2024-25

Dyson Daniels – 4.8 PPG/3.5 PPG/2.5 APG – .435/.312/.645

The Hawks acquired Daniels as one of the key pieces in their return for trading Murray. The 6-foot-7 Aussie had a strong run with Australia in the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics, showcasing his trademark tough defense and an increased willingness to shoot the ball.

Daniels was an effective, efficient shooter too.

He has already proven his mettle as a defender on the NBA stage. And for that, he will prove valuable to the Hawks in 2024-25.

However, it could be difficult for him to meet even modest expectations if his shot does not translate this coming season. And there are valid reasons to believe that Daniels could indeed have difficulty making that transition.

Daniels shot 38.5% on 3.3 attempts per game during the Olympics. 

But the FIBA three-point line is shorter than the NBA, where Daniels has career highs of 31.4% efficiency (2022-23) and attempts 2.2 (2023-24).

Poor shooting will limit how the Hawks can deploy Daniels, limiting their offensive versatility which is supposed to be a feature of the new-look roster. That Daniels is also a poor free throw shooter adds to the uncertain nature of his outlook.

There have not been many predictions of stardom for Daniels.

He is expected to be a key piece of the Hawks’ rotation, though, and his role in the Murray trade will keep the focus on him.